Jetless Intravenous Catheter Flow Reducing Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for administering iodinated contrast media during computer tomography, such as power injectors, often result in extravasation due to jet formation at the catheter tip, leading to suboptimal vascular and tissue enhancement, particularly with higher viscosity contrast agents, and are cumbersome for hand injections which compromise diagnostic quality.
Innovation Solution
A jetless intravenous catheter with flow reducing features, such as apertures or slits, and a mechanical assist device for hand-injection that maintains a constant flow rate, reducing the velocity of fluid exit and minimizing jet formation, along with a catheter hub introducing vorticity to disperse fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If power injector is used to deliver contrast material as a bolus, then the CT scan quality is improved with vivid vascular enhancement, but the risk of contrast media extravasation into surrounding soft tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is segmented into multiple small apertures arranged in a circular pattern, distributing the contrast media flow across multiple exit points rather than a single jet, thereby reducing the velocity and force of individual streams that could cause vessel wall perforation or extravasation
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter incorporates a beveled tip geometry that creates a specific flow pattern, directing the contrast media in a controlled manner along the vessel wall rather than perpendicular to it, reducing the likelihood of extravasation while maintaining effective vascular enhancement
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hand injection is used to administer contrast material, then the risk of contrast media extravasation is reduced, but the CT scan quality deteriorates with suboptimal vascular enhancement
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter design with multiple apertures and beveled tip enables self-regulating flow distribution, where the fluid dynamics automatically create a dispersed flow pattern that mimics the safety of hand injection while achieving the consistent enhancement of power injection, without requiring operator skill or multiple syringes
3Measurement precision
If higher concentration iodine contrast agents are used, then the CT scan diagnostic quality is improved, but the viscosity of contrast material increases making hand injection more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical hand-injection system with a fluid dynamics-based flow distribution system at the catheter tip, eliminating the need for manual pushing force against high-viscosity contrast media while maintaining safe flow characteristics through the multiple aperture design
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces extravasation, allows for safer and more efficient delivery of high viscosity contrast media, improving diagnostic quality by ensuring consistent and vivid vascular enhancement during CT scans, and simplifies the hand-injection process.
Implementation Method 1
The body comprises at least one flow reducing feature configured to create a laminar-turbulent transitional flow associated with a fluid flowing in the longitudinal direction at the first axial velocity and configured to reduce the flow velocity of fluid exiting the tip to a second axial velocity that is less than the first axial velocity
Implementation Method 2
catheter hub introducing vorticity to disperse fluid flow
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A jetless intravenous catheter for the delivery of a fluid into a peripheral vein of a subject includes an elongated body having proximal and distal ends. The body includes a wall defining an internal fluid passageway configured to receive fluid flowing in a longitudinal direction from the proximal end at a first axial velocity and a tip aperture at the distal end configured to allow fluid to exit therethrough. The body comprises at least one flow reducing feature configured to create a laminar-turbulent transitional flow associated with a fluid flowing in the longitudinal direction at the first axial velocity and configured to reduce the flow velocity of fluid exiting the tip to a second axial velocity that is less than the first axial velocity.